The day the music died - Feb 03, 1959 - HISTORY.com The day the music died Share this: The day the music died Author The day the music died URL Publisher A+E Networks On this day in 1959, rising American rock stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson are killed when their chartered Beechcraft Bonanza plane crashes in Iowa a few minutes after takeoff from Mason City on a flight headed for Moorehead, Minnesota. Investigators blamed the crash on bad weather and pilot error. Holly and his band, the Crickets, had just scored a No. 1 hit with “That’ll Be the Day.” After mechanical difficulties with the tour bus, Holly had chartered a plane for his band to fly between stops on the Winter Dance Party Tour. However, Richardson, who had the flu, convinced Holly’s band member Waylon Jennings to give up his seat, and Ritchie Valens won a coin toss for another seat on the plane.

Holly, born Charles Holley in Lubbock, Texas, and just 22 when he died, began singing country music with high school friends before switching to rock and roll after opening for various performers, including Elvis Presley. By the mid-1950s, Holly and his band had a regular radio show and toured internationally, playing hits like “Peggy Sue,” “Oh, Boy!,” “Maybe Baby” and “Early in the Morning.” Holly wrote all his own songs, many of which were released after his death and influenced such artists as Bob Dylan and Paul McCartney. Another crash victim, J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson, 28, started out as a disk jockey in Texas and later began writing songs. Richardson’s most famous recording was the rockabilly “Chantilly Lace,” which made the Top 10.

He developed a stage show based on his radio persona, “The Big Bopper.” The third crash victim was Ritchie Valens, born Richard Valenzuela in a suburb of Los Angeles, who was only 17 when the plane went down but had already scored hits with “Come On, Let’s Go,” “Donna” and “La Bamba,” an upbeat number based on a traditional Mexican wedding song (though Valens barely spoke Spanish). In 1987, Valens’ life was portrayed in the movie La Bamba, and the title song, performed by Los Lobos, became a No. 1 hit. Valens was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001. Singer Don McLean memorialized Holly, Valens and Richardson in the 1972 No.

1 hit “American Pie,” which refers to February 3, 1959 as “the day the music died.” Related Videos Plane Crash Accidents: Top Ten Musicians Who Died In Plane Crashes February 14, 2013 By Jay Crawford 79 Comments Plane Crash Deaths ~ February 3rd was the anniversary of one of the most tragic events in music history. Infamously known as “ The Day the Music Died ,” this date in 1959 was when three legendary young rock and roll musicians were killed in a plane crash. As tragic as this event was, it was not the only time that a musician was killed in a plane crash. Here is my top ten list of artists killed in plane crashes. Top Ten Musicians Who Died In A Plane Crash 1. Buddy Holly {see above} Holly was one of the three rock-and-rollers killed in the 1959 crash, and probably the biggest of the three. Holly already had three top ten hits, including a number one song with “That’ll Be the Day” in 1957.

Several artists, including Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, and Eric Clapton count Holly among their biggest musical influences. Some say he may have been the single most important rock and roll artist of all time, although he had only been around for a couple of years before his untimely death. He was among the first artists to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 2. Patsy Cline Perhaps the single most influential female artist of all time, Patsy Cline was killed in a plane crash just outside Camden, Tennessee on March the 5th, 1963. She had a slew of country music hits to her credit, and had successfully crossed over into pop music, the first artist of her genre to do so. Her hits include “Walkin’ After Midnight”, “I Fall to Pieces”, “She’s Got You”, and “Crazy.” She even scored Top 10 hits after her death in the country music field with “Sweet Dreams”, “Leavin’ On Your Mind”, and “Faded Love.” That is just a testament to her overall popularity. 3.

Ritchie Valens The second most popular of those killed in the plane crash in 1959, Ritchie Valens was only 17 years old at the time of his death. He had already made his mark with three Top 40 hits, including “Donna”, which peaked at #2, “La Bamba”, and “C’Mon Let’s Go.” Valens pioneered what is known as Chicano rock, due to his Mexican-American heritage. Lou Diamond Phillips immortalized the young rocker in his 1987 portrayal of Valens in the film “La Bamba.” 4. Ronnie Van Zant (Lynyrd Skynyrd) Perhaps the most infamous plane crash next to the 1959 one is the 1977 crash that killed three original members of the band Lynyrd Skynyrd, including original lead vocalist and founding member Ronnie Van Zant, backup singer Casey Gaines and guitarist Steve Gaines as well as the band’s road manager Dean Kilpatrick, the pilot and co-pilot.

The band had pioneered the southern rock sound and were virtual icons, especially in the south, with songs like the legendary “Sweet Home Alabama”, the rock anthem “Freebird”, “Workin’ For MCA”, “What’s Your Name?”, and “I Know a Little.” Their music inspired countless other artists, such as Marshall Tucker, Charlie Daniels, Elvin Bishop, as well as numerous modern day country and rock artists. 5. Ricky Nelson Long before Justin Bieber or even Ricky Martin, there was the original teen heartthrob. His name was Ricky Nelson. Nelson began his career as an actor in the long-running television series “The Adventures of Ozzy and Harriet” in which he played himself. After the show ended, he embarked on a musical career that would make most artists jealous. He scored huge hits with songs like “Dream Lover”, “Poor Little Fool”, and the #1 single “Travelin’ Man.” Nelson was killed when his private plane crashed just two miles from the airport in De Kalb, Texas on December 31, 1985. 6. John Denver John Denver had one of the most recognizable voices in radio. He also enjoyed major success in both the adult contemporary and country/western genres.

During his lifetime he recorded twelve gold records and four platinum records. He is best known for his songs “Take Me Home (Country Roads)”, “Rocky Mountain High”, “Sunshine On My Shoulders”, and “Thank God I’m a Country Boy.” Denver was piloting a single occupant plane when he crashed into the Pacific Ocean in 1997 at the age of 53. 7. Stevie Ray Vaughan Technically, Stevie Ray Vaughan was killed in a helicopter crash. But, it’s an aircraft, so gimme a break Stevie was killed in 1990 when the helicopter he was riding in crashed into a hillside in Wisconsin. He had helped to revive the modern blues movement with his band, Double Trouble, and scored huge hits in the blues genre, with songs like “Texas Flood”, “Pride and Joy”, “Rude Mood”, and a wonderful rendition of Jimi Hendrix’s “Vodoo Child (Slight Return).” Although he never cracked the Top 40 in his seven-year career, he was influential and inspirational to many artists, such as ZZ Top, Stevie Wonder, Eric Clapton and John Mayer. 8.

Randy Rhoads Here is yet another example of a young, budding artist whose life ended way too early. Rhoads was a budding young guitarist who had co-founded the heavy metal band Quiet Riot before leaving them in 1979 to join former Black Sabbath lead vocalist Ozzy Osbourne on his first solo tour. Rhoads played guitar on Osbourne’s first and second studio albums, “The Blizzard of Oz” and “Diary of a Madman”, respectively. His riffs can be heard on Ozzy’s legendary hit “Crazy Train.” Rhoads was killed in March of 1982 when the plane he was on crashed into a garage in Leesburg, Florida. Many modern day guitarists, especially in heavy metal, consider Randy Rhoads one of their biggest influences. 9. Jim Reeves He was known as “Gentleman” Jim Reeves. His sultry singing voice helped pioneer country music’s “Nashville sound” and left a legacy that would live for years after his untimely death.

He had several top hits, including four #1 singles with “Mexican Joe”, “Bimbo”, “Four Walls”, and “Billy Bayou” but may be best known for songs that he recorded just prior to his death, “I Can’t Stop Loving You” and “Make the World Go Away.” He died in 1964 when the plane he was piloting crashed in Brentwood, Tennessee, just outside of Nashville. He was 41 years old. 10. The Big Bopper J.P. Richardson, a.k.a. The Big Bopper, is best known for his hit “Chantilly Lace” which was released in 1958. Until that time Richardson was a radio D.J. who enjoyed more success as a songwriter. He penned “Running Bear” for Johnny Preston, as well as George Jones’ first #1 single, “White Lightnin’. ” Richardson was the third of three rock stars killed in the 1959 plane crash infamously known as “The Day the Music Died.” An honorable mention goes to Aaliyah, who died in a plane crash in 2001.

She had two #1 singles on the R&B/Hip Hop charts with “Back & Forth” and “If Your Girl Only Knew” and a #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Try Again.” She also starred in two major motion pictures, “Romeo Must Die” with Jet Li and “Queen of the Damned” opposite Stuart Townsend. Her plane crashed in the Bahamas attempting to return to the U.S. Who Was Your Favorite Musician That Died In A Plane Crash? So, if you feel I missed anyone, please let me know. Otherwise, feel free to comment on these tragic events. Buddy Holly's plane crash site: person, pictures and information - Fold3.com 9 images The tour moves to the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake Iowa with a performance scheduled for Feburary 2, 1959. Due to mechnical differculty with their charted bus, the group arrived at Surf Ballroom less than two hours before the performance. The ballroom was packed with about 1500 people, many drove hundreds of miles in snow covered roads to see the rock stars.

Buddy was fed up with the charted bus with its faulty heater, a bad thing in Upper Midwest winter,so before the perfromance, Buddy asked the Surf manager Carroll Anderson about renting a chartered plane to fly him to his next destination in Moorhead, Minnesota. Carroll said that he knows the owner of Dywer Flying Service in nearby Mason City and he will call him to arrange a flight. Carroll was not able to get hold of the owner Jerry Dywer, so he called one of it pilot, Roger Peterson and Roger agreed to take Buddy plus two others to Moorhead. 1 images After the performance, the group got ready to travel to their next destination in Moorhead, Minnesota. Buddy decided to get there first with a charter plane. Since the plane can only seat four peoples including the pilot. Buddy already have a seat , while the remaining two seats were decided with coin tosses. Ritchie Valens and Big Booper win the toss and got on the plane with Buddy. While Tommy Allsup and Waylan Jenning lost the toss ( lucky for them ). And they were to arrive at Moorhead later with the tour bus, which has a faulty heater, a bad thing in Minnesota winter.

In his 1996 autobiography, Waylon Jennings stated that he was very dissapointed that he had to ride in the freezing bus, so his parting remark to Buddy was "I hope your damn plane crashes!", Waylon Jennings claimed this remark has haunted him ever since then. The took off around 1:00 AM from Mason City Airport, Feburary 3 and crashed only minutes later in a corn field, killing all three rock stars and the pilot. Because the plane didn't catch on fire when it crashed, no one noticed the crash until the next day. Feburary 3, 1959 becomes known as the "The Day the Music Die" in Don Mclean's 1971 song, the "American Pie". 01 Aug 2009 Richardson's 2007 autopsy J. P. Richardson ( Big Blooper) body was buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Beaumount Texas. In 2007, Richardson's son decided to have the grave moved to a different part of the cemetery, a more visible location so they can ererct a life-size statue and historic marker.

The disinterment offered Richardson's son Jay a chance to ask experts to examine his father's remains to determine if his father had walked away from the wreckage, because his body was found over 50 feets from the wreckage, resulting in many rumors. William M. Basss undertook the procedure and confirmed the 1959 report. The body of Richardson was in good preservation, but showed "massive fractures", showing that he too had died on impact, and no way could have walked fifty feet, as all leg bones were shattered. Since Jay was born two month after the death of his father, he was present during autopsy and finally saw the father that he has never seem. J. P. Richardson body was reburied in a new casket and the used metal casket was given to the Texas Musician's Museum. In December 2008, Jay Richardson announced that he would be placing the old casket up for auction on eBay to raise money for The Texas Musician's Museum. At the time of writing of this story, it is not known if it is still on the eBay.

1 images Buddy met Maria Elena Santiago in June 1958 and they were married in Lubbock, Texas on August 15, 1958. She was pregnant when Buddy was kill and became a widow after barely six months of marriage and miscarried soon after. María Elena Holly did not attend the funeral and has never visited the grave site. She later told the Avalanche-Journal, "In a way, I blame myself. I was not feeling well when he left. I was two weeks pregnant, and I wanted Buddy to stay with me, but he had scheduled that tour. It was the only time I wasn't with him. And I blame myself because I know that, if only I had gone along, Buddy never would have gotten into that airplane. In the song American Pie, Don Mclean refered Maria Elena Holly as the "widowed bride". A long, long time ago... I can still remember How that music used to make me smile. And I knew if I had my chance That I could make those people dance And, maybe, they’d be happy for a while. But february made me shiver With every paper I’d deliver. Bad news on the doorstep; I couldn’t take one more step.

I can’t remember if I cried When I read about his widowed bride, But something touched me deep inside The day the music died. So bye-bye, miss american pie. Drove my chevy to the levee, But the levee was dry. And them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye Singin’, "this’ll be the day that I die. "this’ll be the day that I die." Did you write the book of love, And do you have faith in God above, If the Bible tells you so? Do you believe in rock ’n roll, Can music save your mortal soul, And can you teach me how to dance real slow? Well, I know that you’re in love with him `cause I saw you dancin’ in the gym. You both kicked off your shoes. Man, I dig those rhythm and blues. I was a lonely teenage broncin’ buck With a pink carnation and a pickup truck, But I knew I was out of luck The day the music died. I started singin’, Drove my chevy to the levee, But the levee was dry.

Them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye And singin’, "this’ll be the day that I die. "this’ll be the day that I die." Now for ten years we’ve been on our own And moss grows fat on a rollin’ stone, But that’s not how it used to be. When the jester sang for the king and queen, In a coat he borrowed from james dean And a voice that came from you and me, Oh, and while the king was looking down, The jester stole his thorny crown. The courtroom was adjourned; And while lennon read a book of marx, The quartet practiced in the park, And we sang dirges in the dark The day the music died. We were singing, Drove my chevy to the levee, But the levee was dry. Them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye And singin’, "this’ll be the day that I die. "this’ll be the day that I die." Helter skelter in a summer swelter. The birds flew off with a fallout shelter, Eight miles high and falling fast. It landed foul on the grass.

The players tried for a forward pass, With the jester on the sidelines in a cast. Now the half-time air was sweet perfume While the sergeants played a marching tune. We all got up to dance, Oh, but we never got the chance! `cause the players tried to take the field; The marching band refused to yield. Do you recall what was revealed The day the music died? We started singing, Drove my chevy to the levee, But the levee was dry. Them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye And singin’, "this’ll be the day that I die. "this’ll be the day that I die." Oh, and there we were all in one place, A generation lost in space With no time left to start again. So come on: jack be nimble, jack be quick! Jack flash sat on a candlestick Cause fire is the devil’s only friend. Oh, and as I watched him on the stage My hands were clenched in fists of rage. No angel born in hell Could break that satan’s spell.

And as the flames climbed high into the night To light the sacrificial rite, I saw satan laughing with delight The day the music died He was singing, Drove my chevy to the levee, But the levee was dry. Them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye And singin’, "this’ll be the day that I die. "this’ll be the day that I die." I met a girl who sang the blues And I asked her for some happy news, But she just smiled and turned away. I went down to the sacred store Where I’d heard the music years before, But the man there said the music wouldn’t play. And in the streets: the children screamed, The lovers cried, and the poets dreamed. But not a word was spoken; The church bells all were broken. And the three men I admire most: The father, son, and the holy ghost, They caught the last train for the coast The day the music died. And they were singing, Drove my chevy to the levee, But the levee was dry. And them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye Singin’, "this’ll be the day that I die.

"this’ll be the day that I die." They were singing, Drove my chevy to the levee, But the levee was dry. Them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye Singin’, "this’ll be the day that I die." The Story of Rock's First Tragedy: Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper Killed in Plane Crash REDDIT Hulton Archive, Getty Images Rock ‘n’ roll was still in its infancy when it suffered its first tragedy. On Feb. 3, 1959, three of its biggest stars — Buddy Holly , Ritchie Valens and J.P. Richardson, known as the Big Bopper — were killed in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa. The three acts, along with Dion and the Belmonts, were on a package tour called the Winter Dance Party, which was to play 24 Midwestern cities in as many days. But the bus’ heating system was ill-equipped and broke down a few days later, which caused some musicians to catch the flu and Holly’s drummer Carl Bunch to be hospitalized for frostbite. By the time they reached the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake on Feb.

2, about a week and a half into the tour, Holly, after the show, decided to charter a plane from nearby Mason City to Fargo, N.D., just across the state line from their next gig in Moorhead, Minn. As a bonus, Holly would be able to do his laundry, which had been neglected since the tour began. The plane, a Beechwood Bonanza, had room for only three passengers — Holly and his band — and the pilot, Roger Peterson. Holly’s bass player, future country legend Waylon Jennings , gave up his seat to Richardson, who was ill. According to Jennings’ autobiography, Holly teased his bass player by saying, “Well, I hope your ol’ bus freezes up.” To which Jennings responded, “Well, I hope your ol’ plane crashes.” There are conflicting stories as to how Valens wound up in the third seat. Tommy Allsup, Holly’s guitarist, claimed that he lost a coin flip to Valens in the dressing room. In 2010, Dion DiMucci, who had been silent about that night for 51 years, claimed that he, not Allsup, was slated for the third seat because he was one of the headliners.

But after winning the coin toss, he balked at paying $36 for the flight — the amount his parents paid in monthly rent for the apartment where he grew up — and gave Valens the seat. Local DJ Bob Hale, who was the MC for the concert, agrees that it was between Allsup and Valens, but that he, not Allsup, flipped the coin. Regardless of the contradictions, around 12:55AM on Feb. 3, the plane carrying Holly, Richardson and Valens took off in a snowstorm with strong winds. But the plane traveled only a few miles before crashing, killing all four men instantly. The federal investigation ruled that even though the weather played a large role in the accident, the 21-year-old Peterson was too inexperienced to have been flying in such conditions. In addition, he had most likely misread the altitude indicator, which was different than the one on which he had trained, and inadvertently brought the plane down instead of up. At the time, Holly’s wife of six months, Maria Elena, was two weeks pregnant. The day after the crash, she suffered a miscarriage from the emotional trauma.

In March 1980, a long-missing piece of the plane crash was discovered. Holly’s signature black-rimmed glasses had landed in a snow bank and were discovered in the spring of 1959, after the snow melted. They were brought to the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s office, sealed in a manila envelope and forgotten about for 21 years. Upon discovery, the glasses were returned to his widow and are currently on permanent display at the Buddy Holly Center in his hometown of Lubbock, Texas. Rockers Who Died at Age 27 Image of Ritchie Valens, J.P. 'The Big Bopper' Richardson and Buddy Holly - Rolling Stone Ritchie Valens, J.P. 'The Big Bopper' Richardson and Buddy Holly Ritchie Valens, J.P. 'The Big Bopper' Richardson and Buddy Holly A deadly plane crash robbed rock and roll of three of its top singers The Daily Tribune newspaper reports the deaths of Buddy Holly, J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson and Ritchie Valens. Credit: GAB Archive/Redferns Clear Lake, Iowa, Feb.

3 (UPI) More News All Stories Three of the nation's top rock 'n roll singing stars – Ritchie Valens, J. P. (The Big Bopper) Richardson, and Buddy Holly – died today with their pilot in the crash of a chartered plane. The singers, members of a rock 'n roll troupe touring Midwest cities, died because they wanted to make a fast hop between dates so they could get their shirts laundered. The tragedy that ended the careers of the three rising stars symbolized, in a way that was powerfully real, the decline of the strange new music that was carrying us into adolescence and adulthood. In rock and roll one has to be a fan as well as a listener, and the energy of the music depends on stars as much as it does on expertise and creativity. Send Jimi Hendrix to prison for a few years, bust John Lennon and Mick Jagger just one more time, and it won't matter much how good the next album by the Byrds sounds. Rock and roll is not composed in conservatories or judged in museums – this is one world where infinity does not go up on trial. 19 and 59 – the stars were gone.

The sound Buddy Holly had brought together was left to the second stringers, members of the bands who previously had been happy to back him up or copy his material. Then Bobby Vee appropriated the Crickets for an LP, and hired a young piano player, Bob Dylan , for his road band. That was where the momentum was. Rock and roll, as Dylan himself put it, became "a piece of cream." Today, we can discover that the heritage of that flimsy, beautiful era comes to more than just the million-sellers everyone remembers. The spirit of the old music, brash, innocent, is a spirit our best craftsmen have never lost, and the memories are more than music – they jump out of an awareness of crucial, sometimes tragic events that exaggerate every note of "La Bamba" and "Peggy Sue" until there's just a lot more there to hear. Following an appearance before 1000 fans at Clear Lake last night, they chartered a plane at the Mason City Airport, two miles east of here, and took off at 1:50 AM for Fargo, North Dakota. Their Bonanza four-seat single engine plane crashed minutes later.

If Buddy Holly were alive today I've no doubt that he, like Johnny Cash , would be recording with Bob Dylan. (The band, for their part, tried to get Gene Vincent to visit the sessions for their latest album, only to discover him living in a hospital in Los Angeles, crippled by an accident.) When young Bob Dylan brought an electric rock and roll band on stage at a junior high school music pageant back in Hibbing, Minnesota, to a reception similar to the one he received when he did the same thing at Newport years later, Buddy Holly tunes were most likely part of the program. Traces of Holly's vocal style, his phrasing rather than his insane changes from deep bass to something resembling soprano, pop up all through Dylan's career: on an obscure 1962 Columbia single, "Mixed-Up Confusion," on "Absolutely Sweet Marie," on "I Shall Be Free No. 10," anywhere you look. Dylan and Holly share a clipped, staccato delivery that communicates a sly sense of cool, almost teenage masculinity.

This spirit is captured at its best on one of Holly's finest albums, The Great Buddy Holly (Vocalion VL 3811), recently released as a budget item ($1.98). The LP contains ten cuts recorded in Nashville before Holly made it as a star (these are the songs discussed by Barret Hansen in "Tex-Mex," the article in ROLLING STONE #23, but they are available). The accompanying musicians, lacking the flash and the excitement of Holly's later band, do all the right things and put the burden on Holly. He carries it with ease, on an early version of "That'll Be the Day," on love songs, on school-boy rockers. It's with the last two songs, "Don't Come Back Knockin'" and "Midnight Shift," that Holly gets into rock and roll like a young Carl Perkins singing about women who cheat on him, not people who step on his shoes. This isn't the blues – there is no self-pity, not even a tear. Buddy has the last laugh.

"Annie's beein working on the midnight shift" – he's glad to let you know, and he's not referring to overtime pay at the all-night drugstore. The phrasing is simply what we know as pure Dylan— If she tells you she wants to use the caahhhh! Never explains what she want it faaahhh! —what Phil Spector meant when he heard the Four Tops doing "Reach Out" and said, "yeah, that's a black man singing Dylan." In an odd way, it was the Four Tops doing Buddy Holly. If things had been different, Holly and Dylan might be surprising us all with a snappy duet on "I Don't Believe You." The plane skidded across the snow for 558 feet. Holly, 21, was found twenty feet from the wreckage. Following his death, Coral Records released half a dozen albums of Holly's hits and memorabilia. While The Buddy Holly Story (biggest hits, Coral CRL 757279) ought to be part of everyone's collection, there is much more.

Holly's obscure recordings, made on home tape-recorders, in high school with his pal Bob Montgomery, demos and rehearsal acetates, have been re-recorded with studio musicians, often the Fireballs, supplementing the original vocal tracks. The feeling one gets from listening to these cuts, an uneven collection of various Number One records ("Smokey Joe's Cafe," "Shake Rattle and Roll," "Blue Monday," "Love is Strange," "Rip It Up," and so one), is that of visiting a funeral parlor to watch an embalmer touch up the face of a body mangled in an accident. The guy does a great job but you still don't recognize the face. For the most part, these records are interesting historically, not musically – they show where Holly came from, sounding like an anemic Carl Perkins on "Blue Suede Shoes," until he finally emerges as an original, able to master any sort of material in a way that is unique and compelling. His vocal on "Love Is Strange" steals the song from Micky and Sylvia. Holly had it all down. Sometimes, these ancient cuts provide a real sense of what rock and roll might have become had Holly lived.

The same shock of recognition that knocked out the audiences at the Fillmore West when the band from Big Pink lit into Little Richard takes place, with the same song, when the ghost of Buddy Holly is joined by the Fireballs for "Slippin' and Slid-in'" (from Giant, the "new" Holly release, Coral CRL 757504). An agile, humorous vocal is carried by a band that knows all the tricks. They break it open with the Everly Brothers' own seductive intro, constantly switching, musically, from song to song while Holly ties it together. The guitarist actually sounds like Robbie Robertson, throwing in bright little patterns around the constant whoosh of the cymbals. The excitement and confusion that comes from a precise marriage of the two songs is irresistible – it's certainly one of the best things Buddy Holly never did. He was only twenty one, so Coral Records just brought him out of the grave. Valens, a 17 year old recording sensation hailed as "the next Elvis Presley ," was thrown forty feet. Valens, from Pacoima, California, was rapidly becoming one of the hottest singing talents in the country.

His first record, of a song he had written called "Come On, Let's Go," was released last summer and made him famous. Richard Valenzuela, a Southern California boy. Ruben of Ruben and the Jets was patterned after Ritchie, and much of the material on the Cruising album is a fair representation of Valens' music. Today, it might all seem rather laughable, but for Ritchie and his fans, as Zappa would be the first to admit, it was no joke, it was just the way it was. "We made this album because we really like this kind of music: just a bunch of old men with rock & roll clothes on sitting around the studio, mumbling about the good old days." Valens was a hero to the Mexican-American community in Los Angeles, and they cheered him on with the same kind of support they gave when one of their boys faced a black welterweight in the annual Golden Gloves Tournament. It meant a lot to break into a field that had always been in the hands of larger, more established minorities – blacks, Italians, Okies – Ritchie was the first Chicano singer, a hero, just a kid, but a hero.

Valens sang fragile melodies with the enthusiasm and commitment of Little Richard, and the tension that resulted from a fusion of these two elements in a single song captivated his audience and made him a star. Imagine Little Richard singing "Whispering Bells" or perhaps something like Mary Hopkin's "Goodbye" the way he sang "Lucille" and you have Ritchie Valens. He could turn it around: "Donna" is as touching a ballad as "I Threw It All Away." Valens took an old Mexican festival song, "La Bamba," gave it a rock and roll beat, and scored with one of the most exciting records of the era. The split second flashes of the intro, the guitar break that happens before Ritchie has finished with the words – they were all in so much of a hurry the notes pile up on top of each other until the song itself explodes. And Valens traveled twenty feet farther than either Buddy Holly or the Big Bopper. What is left?

The only LP by Ritchie Valens that is still in print is a weird budget album (88c) on Guest Star Records (GS-1469), available in supermarkets and drugstores, "a product of the Synthetic Plastics Co." "Fine records need not be expensive" is their slogan. Again, more graverobbers. The company has taken Ritchie's audition tapes (vocal and fine acoustic guitar playing), studio jams that were recorded for vocals that were never sung, and some unreleased masters, added the hit version of "Donna," and come up with "an album." Surprisingly, it works as a record: starting with the early tapes, a kid trying to get his first contract, the sense of melody is there and there is no doubt about the talent. As with the Holly albums, we go through a period of uncertainty, the tracks randomly titled ("Rock Little Donna" is really about a girl named Susie), Ritchie finding himself, beginning to work with a band. Then the triumph, his perfect "Donna," a few pleasant songs, two jams, and it's over. This is Juke Box Heaven, courtesy of Guest Star Records. This is what is left.

When Valens died "La Bamba" was right up there in the Top Ten; a week later it was slipping down off the charts, and Bobby Vinton was there, holding Ritchie's coat. This story is from the June 28th, 1969 issue of Rolling Stone. Don’t Miss a Story Sign up for our newsletter to receive breaking news directly in your inbox. We may use your e-mail address to send you the newsletter and offers that may interest you, on behalf of Rolling Stone and its partners. For more information please read our Privacy Policy How we use your email address Trending Ranked on a scale from 1 to 10, the trending score reflects the number of users reading a story in real time. What is this? On This Day: Buddy Holly Killed in Plane Crash on “The Day the Music Died” On This Day: Buddy Holly Killed in Plane Crash on “The Day the Music Died” February 03, 2012 06:00 AM by findingDulcinea Staff On Feb. 3, 1959, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper died in a plane crash.

The day would be immortalized as “The Day the Music Died” in the Don McLean song “American Pie.” The Day The Music Died Buddy Holly was headlining the “Winter Dance Party,” a three-week tour through 24 midwestern cities featuring Ritchie Valens, the “Big Bopper” J.P. Richardson and Dion & The Belmonts. The grueling travel schedule and Midwest winter was hard for the musicians, especially after the heat in the tour bus stopped working. On Feb. 2, the tour stopped in Clear Lake, Iowa, to perform at the Surf Ballroom. Holly, frustrated by the bus rides, decided to charter a plane for after the show to take his band to the next tour stop in Moorhead, Minn. Valens and Richardson, who were sick with a cold and flu, respectively, asked Holly’s bandmates to give up their seats for them. Holly guitarist Tommy Allsup gave Valens his seat after flipping a coin for it. Richardson got a seat from bassist Waylon Jennings, who later joked with Holly about losing his seat.

Holly said, “Well, I hope your bus freezes up,” to which Jennings replied, “Well, I hope your ol’ plane crashes.” Jennings would say later in his life that the exchange haunted him: “I was awful young, and it took me a long time to get over that.” Holly, Richardson and Valens boarded the three-passenger plane, a Beechcraft Bonanza B3794N. It took off from Mason City, Iowa, around 1:00 a.m. on Feb. 3, piloted by 21-year-old Roger Peterson, who had just worked a 17-hour day. Flying into a blizzard, the plane crashed into a cornfield shortly after take-off , killing all four men aboard. The crash was blamed on pilot error; the low visibility due to the weather conditions would have forced Peterson to rely on instruments to determine where he was flying. An inexperienced pilot with limited knowledge of his instruments, Peterson likely flew the plane down instead of up.

The Civil Aeronautics Board’s official report on the accident states: “This accident, like so many before it, was caused by the pilot’s decision to undertake a flight in which the likelihood of encountering instrument conditions existed, in the mistaken belief that he could cope with en route instrument weather conditions, without having the necessary familiarization with the instruments in the aircraft and without having properly certificated to fly solely by instruments.” Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison Buddy Holly Charles Hardin Holley was born in Lubbock, Texas , on Sept. 7, 1936. He played guitar, banjo and mandolin by the age of 15, and by the mid-1950s was playing in a country duo with childhood friend Bob Montgomery. Holly turned to playing rock and roll in 1955, after seeing Elvis Presley perform in Lubbock. “He loved Presley's rhythm—it wasn't country and it wasn't blues—it was somewhere in the middle and it suited just fine,” recalls country singer Sonny Curtis, a childhood friend of Holly. “After seeing Elvis, Buddy had only one way to go.” He was signed onto a record label in 1956.

In 1957, Holly and his band, the Crickets, recorded “That'll Be the Day,” which soon topped the pop charts . By 1958 the group had had seven Top 40 singles, including “Peggy Sue” and “Oh Boy!” “Though Holly lacked the arresting sexuality of Elvis Presley, he nonetheless cut an engaging, charismatic figure with his trademark horn-rimmed glasses and vocal hiccup,” writes the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Crickets split up in 1958, and Holly moved to Greenwich Village and married Maria Elena Santiago. Maria was pregnant with their first child when Holly was killed , but she had a miscarriage after the accident. Though his career as a popular musician lasted only about a year and a half, Holly left an enduring legacy . He was innovative in his use of double-tracking and other studio techniques, and popularized the lineup of two guitars, a bass and drums that is used by many rock bands.

He influenced 60s bands such as the Beatles, whose named is derived from the Crickets, and the Rolling Stones, whose first hit was a cover of Holly’s “Not Fade Away.” Ritchie Valens Richard Steven Valenzuela was born in the Los Angeles suburb of Pacoima, surrounded by Mexican music but also influenced by R&B vocal groups. He learned guitar and joined a local band when he was 16, and was eventually taken under the wing of Del-Fi label owner Bob Keane, with whom he produced his debut single, “Come On, Let's Go.” He would then release “Donna,” and “La Bamba.” "Donna” was later called "one of the classic teen love ballads" by rock critic Lester Bangs, and “La Bamba,” perhaps his most-remembered hit, “foreshadowed garage-rock, frat-rock and punk-rock,” according to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Sources in this Story MSNBC: Big Bopper autopsy debunks foul-play rumors The “Big Bopper” Jiles Perry Richardson Jr. was born on Oct. 24, 1930 in Sabine Pass, Texas.

He earned the stage name of The Big Bopper in 1957 while working as a DJ at KTRM in Beaumont, Texas. He set a record in 1957 for continuous broadcasting for six days, spinning more than 1,800 records. He would have his own chart-topping single in 1958 with “Chantilly Lace,” and other popular hits such as “Little Red Riding Hood” and “Big Bopper's Wedding.” Despite rampant rumors after his death that a gun of Buddy Holly's found at the crash site was fired on the plane, an exhumation in 2007 found that there had been no “foul play” involved during the plane crash . Plane crash that killed Buddy Holly set to be re-investigated after 'new factors' emerge on why the aircraft went down | Daily Mail Online comments An investigation into the 1959 plane crash that killed Buddy Holly and three others could now be reopened after a respected pilot brought forward new factors as to how the aircraft may have gone down.

At the time of the crash, the Civil Aeronautics Board ruled the probable cause of the crash was error by the pilot, Roger Peterson, who took off from Mason City to Moorhead, Minnesota, in inclement weather, even though he was qualified. The chartered plane crashed in Iowa not long after takeoff, killing Holly, Peterson, and musicians Ritchie Valens and J.P. Richardson. Now L.J. Coon, an experienced pilot from New England, says a variety of other factors - such as weight and balance calculations, the rate of the plane's climb and descent, fuel gauge readings and the passenger-side rudder - should have been considered, according to The Globe Gazette . Wreck: On February 3, 1959, a light aircraft chartered by Buddy Holly crashed in Clear Lake, Iowa, killing the singer and three others aboard. An investigation into the reasons for the crash - ruled at the time to be pilot - could now be reopened, after a pilot petitioned for other factors to be considered Fiery: The accident, known as 'The Day the Music Died', that occurred on February 3, 1959, killed rock and roll musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.

P. 'The Big Bopper' Richardson, as well as the pilot, Roger Peterson Too young: Buddy Holly was only 22 when he died, with his career only lasting 18 months. He is still considered one of the best musicians of all time Tragic: The body of one of the three famous rock 'n' roll singers killed in the crash of a single engine bonanza lies a few feet from the wreckage of the plane on February 3, 1959, in Clear Lake, Iowa The National Transportation Safety Board has agreed to consider reopening the investigation. Coon's motivation was to 'the heroic effort that took place in those 4.9 miles' by the pilot, Peterson, before the plane crashed. The plane had been in the air less than four minutes. RELATED ARTICLES Share this article Share Coon received a letter from the NTSB saying they had received his call for a reinvestigation. 'You have gotten our attention. Let us do our due diligence in order to give you a proper answer,' the letter stated. The NTSB will now determine whether or not the submission meets the requirements of a Petition for Reconsideration.

History and many other people believe that Peterson was the direct cause of the February 3, 1959 crash. Killed: Buffy Holly, who was one of the most popular entertainers of the 1950's, died in a plane crash in 1959 In memoriam: A giant pair of glasses marks the place where Buddy Holly died in Clear Lake, Iowa Gary W. Moore, author of Hey Buddy, a book about Holly's life, told the Globe Gazaette that the Aeronautics Board got it right 56 years ago. 'I think that what (a new investigation) is going to find it is its pretty simple,' Moore said. 'The pilot was unqualified to fly in those conditions and he lost control of the airplane.' Holly, a rockabilly pioneer, was only 22-years-old when he died, with a career lasting 18 months. Despite such a short time, Rolling Stone in 2004 ranked Holly as number 13 on its list of the 100 greatest artists of all time.

Question: Give the pseudonym of J.P. Richardson, a pop singer , who dies in a plane crash in 1959?
Answer: 'THE BIG BOPPER'